The Office of the President on March 11 issued a two-point statement with regards to whether the ROC will abolish the capital punishment system here:
1) The ROC is a nation that abides by the rule of law and all matters are carried out in accordance with the law. With regards to cases in which final and unappealable sentences of capital punishment have been handed down, any stay of execution must be in accordance with laws and regulations. Otherwise, the Ministry of Justice is required to carry out the sentences in accordance with the law.
2) Abolishment of capital punishment is a trend among the majority of nations in the world. However, many different viewpoints on the issue exist in Taiwan and no consensus has yet been reached. As a result, more discussion in a rational manner is needed. From the standpoint of the overall trend, however, extending terms of imprisonment for major crimes, making it more difficult for those sentenced to life sentences to get parole, adopting more rigorous procedures for the handing down of death sentences, and amending laws to reduce the use of the death penalty are the likely direction of the nation's future policies in this regard.